Fluid spray cleaning machines



Nov. 25, 1958 w. K. WYATT ETAL 2,

4 FLUID SPRAY CLEANING MACHINES Filed Nov. 6, 1956 v 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEYS Nov. 25, 1958 w. K. WYATT ET AL 2,

FLUID SPRAY CLEANING MACHINES Filed Nov. 6, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4'3 INVENTORS.

William A. [4 ail cZSi A 'I'TORNEYS Nov. 25, 1958 W. K. WYATT ETA'L FLUID SPRAY CLEANING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fileq Nov .4 6, 1956 Nov. 25, 1958 w. K. WYATT ET AL FLUID SPRAY CLEANING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 6, 1956 Mil,

IN VEN TORS.

W azhfi Jig/[Z6177 ATTORNEYS QS -MFMQ. kn w United States Patent C FLUID SPRAY CLEANING MACHINES William K. Wyatt and George E. Tradewell, Lansdale, Pa., assignors to Turbo Machine Company, Lansdale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 6, 1956, Serial No. 620,745

Claims. (Cl. 299-58) This invention relates to fluid spray cleaning machines, that is to say, to cleaning machines in which steam or vapor is generated by heat from water or other liquid, to which a proportionate amount of detergent or other cleansing agent is added, for forcible discharge through a nozzle upon machine parts, automobiles, trucks, windows and other objects to remove dirt, grime and/or grease from them.

The chief aim of our invention is to provide a machine of the kind referred to which is simple in construction and reliable in operation; which is highly economical from the standpoint of power consumption and in the use of the cleaning fluids; by the aid of which the cleaning is accomplished in a minimum of time; which is safe against fire hazards; and which, moreover, is in the form of a compact mobile unit capable of being easily and quickly moved about from place to place.

In a cleaning machine having the above attributes and in which an electric motor driven pump is utilized to force the liquid through an electrically heated vapor generator, it is a further aim of our invention to provide automatic means whereby, in the event of failure of the water or other liquid supply, current flow to the pump motor and to the heating means is immediately interrupted.

()ther objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a fluid spray cleaning machine conveniently embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of the machine in top plan with its protective cover removed and with portions broken away to expose important structural details which otherwise would be hidden.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine with portions thereof shown in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing a segment of a steam generating pipe coil used in the machine.

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the coil taken as indicated by the angled arrows V-V in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the wiring connections of the various electrical instrumentalities embodied in the machine.

As herein exemplified, our improved cleaning machine comprises a base 1 of which the top is in the form of a plate 2, cut. or otherwise fashioned from stout sheet metal to generally elongate elliptic configuration, and whereto is welded or otherwise permanently aflixed a pendent perimetric reinforcing or stiffening flange 3. Disposed in the transverse diametral plane through the center of the wide rounded rear end of the base are two supporting wheel casters 4 which are symmetrically spaced relative to the longitudinal axis of the base; and at the center of the smaller rounded front end of the base is a single swiveled steering wheel caster 5.

Fixedly mounted centrally upon the rear rounded end of the base i is a cylindrical protective housing 6 con taining an upright pipe coil 7 which, as shown in Figs.

4 and 5, is wrapped with insulation tape 8. Spiralize'd about the wrapped pipe coil 7 substantially throughout the extent thereof is a helix of resistance wire 9 which is covered, in turn, by a separate wrapping 10 of insulation tape. The convolutions of the pipe coil 7 are held in spaced relation by three notched bars 11, 12 and 13 uniformly arranged circumferentially of the coil, and are held within the notches of said bars by bolt-secured clamp elements 14 as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3. It is to be understood that the bars 11, 12 and 13 have secured to them, with interposition of terminal blocks, soldered or weld connections with the wire coil 9 as conventionally indicated in Fig. 6. From Fig. 3 it will be noted that the pipe coil assembly is supported by blocks 17 secured to the top plate 2 of the base 1 and, moreover, that it is completely embedded in insulation conventionally in-' dicated at 13 which maybe of asbestos or of glass Wool. Connected to the bottom ends of the bars 11, 12 and 13 are conductor leads 21, 22 and 23 which extend down through the top 2 of the base 1 into an underslung protective housing 25.

Fixedly mounted upon the front end of the base 1 above the swivel caster 5 is an electric motor 30 with which a rotary pump 31 is incorporated; and recessed into an opening 32 in the top 2 of the base 1 to one side of the longitudinal center of the latter and between the coil housing 5 and said motor is a reservoir 33 for water. By the action of the pump 31, water is drawn from the reservoir as through the vertical branch 34 of a pipe 35 having interposed therein a float controlled electric switch 36, see Fig. 6, Of a commercially available type having, within its body, a float 36a which responds to fluid in the pipe 6. In the absence of fluid in the pipe 35 and dropping of the float 36a, a magnetized head at the top of the float will cause the separation of normally engaged contacts within an evacuated envelope 36b set into the valve body. The switch 36 serves for the purpose later on explained.

Another pipe 37' connects the outlet of the pump 31 with the bottom end of the pipe coil 7, and interposed therein is an adjustable automatic flow control valve 38, a pressure gauge 39, and a pressure relief valve 40. By a vertical pipe branch 41 passed down through the in sulation in the casing 6, the upper end of the coil 7 is connected to a conduit 42 which extends forwardly beneath the base and protrudes through the flange 3. To the end of the conduit 42 is detachably connected, by means of a coupling 43, a delivery hose 45 having at its terminal end a wand 46 with a spray nozzle tip 47. A separate gauge 48 is provided to indicate the pressure of fluid flow in the conduit 42.

of the overflow in the event that the valve 51 should stick in open position.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the coil housing 6 has a cover on which is hollow for utilization as a reservoir for liquid detergent or the like which is introduced through a top access opening upon removal of the closure cap designated at. Leading from the bottom of the cover 6% through a notch 62 in the wall of the housing 6 is a tube 63 of which the downward extension 64 at the exterior of the housing connects, at 65, into the suction pipe 34 immediately below the switch 36. Flow of 3 the detergent from the reservoir 60 is controllable by means of the hand valve indicated at 66.

Electric current for the heating wire spiral 9 surrounding the pipe coil 7 and for actuating the pump motor 30 is supplied from a three phase A. C. power line by way of conductors shown at 76, 71 and 72 in Figs. 2 and 6, said conductors being passed through a protective tube 73, into the housing 25, hereinbefore referred to beneath the base 1, for connection of the leads 21, 22 and 23 from the bars 11, 12 and 13 of the pipe coil unit, and for also connection of the leads from a control box 76 supported vertically of the front of the casing 6 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 by brackets 77. Mounted on the front of the control box '76 are start and Stop push button switches 78 and 79, respectively. For protection, the motor pump unit 30, 31, the reservoir 33 and the starter box 76 are all enclosed in a stepped louvered hood 80 of sheet material which is upwardly removable from the base 1. As shown, the hood 80 extends rearward into conformative relation to the coil housing 6 and is provided with openings respectively for the pressure gauges 39 and 48 and for the start and stop buttons 78 and 79.

Within the control box 76, as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 6, is a relay 84 whereof the actuating coil is indicated at 85, and whereof the armature carries four bridging contacts 86, 87, 88 and 89. Upon closing the starting switch 78, it will be seen from Fig. 6 that a circuit 70, 91, 79, 92, 93, 78, 94, 95, 85, 72 is established through the coil 85 of the relay 84 to lift the armature of the latter, and that upon closing of the relay 34, a circuit 70, 97, as, 98, 99, we, 86, 101, 72 is established for supply of current to the pump motor 30. A. circuit 70, 97, 98, 21, 11, 9a, 12, 22, 87, 71 will then also be established through the section 9a of the coil 9; another circuit 70, 97, 88, 98, 182, 23, 13, 12, 22, 87, 71 through the section 9b of the coil 9; another circuit 70, 97, 88, 9s, 21 11, 13, 23, 166, 86, 101, 72 through the section 9c of the coil 9; and still another circuit 70, 91, 79, 92, 103, 104, 89, s, 95, as, 72, through control of the float controlled switch 36. It is to be observed that the contact 89 of the relay 84 acts as a holding contact to maintain these several circuits after the start button 78 is released.

With pump 31 running, water is continuously drawn from the reservoir 33, with addition thereto of a proportionate amount of detergent from the reservoir 60, through the pipe 35, the resulting solution being conducted; and by way of the pipe 37, to the coil 9. In traversing the coil 9, the solution is converted into steam by the heating effect of the spiral 9; the steam being delivered, through the conduit 42, to the nozzle wand 46 for forcible discharge upon the object to be cleaned. The relief valve 40 will open automatically if the pressure should become excessive at any time during operationof the apparatus. If the water supply in the reservoir 33 should become exhausted due to sticking of the float actuated valve 53 or due to failure of the supply source, the float 36a of the switch 36 will drop, with attendant opening of the contacts of said switch and interruption of the current flow to the coil 85 of the relay 84 which will then open, whereby, the circuits to the motor and to the heating helix 9 will be broken in turn and the apparatus brought to a stand still. The machine can, of course, be stopped at any time simply by pressing the stop switch 79 as will be readily understood from Fig. 6. While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, we have illustrated and described the best forms of embodiment of our invention now known to us it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims, and that in some cases certain features of our invention may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a spray cleaning machine, a pipe coil and electric heating means therefor; a reservoir for cleaning fluid; a conduit for conducting the fluid from a pressure supply source to the reservoir; a motor-driven pump for drawing fluid from the reservoir and introducing it into one end of the coil; 21 delivery hose connected to the other end of the coil and provided with a spray nozzle; a floatcontrolled valve for maintaining a constant level of fluid in the reservoir; and a switch means automatically operative upon exhaustion of the fluid in the reservoir in the event of failure of the supply source, to interrupt current flow to the electric heating means and to the motor.

2. A cleaning machine, according to claim 1, in which water is used as the cleaning fluid and converted into steam for discharge through the nozzle, further including a storage reservoir for liquid detergent; a pipe through which detergent is conducted from its reservoir to the intake side of the pump for admixture with the water; and a regulatable valve interposed in said pipe.

3. A cleaning machine, according to claim 1, wherein the pipe coil is vertically arranged in a housing having a hollow cover which serves as the reservoir for the detergent.

4. A spray cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein all of the aforesaid parts are fixedly mounted on a wheeled base for mobility of the machine from place to place.

5. A cleaning machine according to claim 4, wherein the pipe coil is vertically arranged; wherein the housing for the coil is cylindrical; wherein the base is elongate and rounded at opposite ends; wherein the coil housing is fixedly supported coaxially of one of the round end portions of the base; wherein the motor pump unit is fixedly supported on the opposite rounded end of the base; wherein the reservoir is fixedly supported by the base between the coil housing and the pump motor; wherein the pump motor unit and the reservoir are concealed by an upwardly removable louvered protective hood which extends back to the coil housing and is shaped to fit snugly thereagainst; and wherein the base is provided with a pair of laterally spaced casters beneath the coil housing and with a swivel caster centrally of the end at which the pump motor unit is supported,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,437,331 Alexander Nov. 28, 1922 1,627,335 Midulla May 3, 1927 2,062,925 Ofeldt 1 Dec. 1, 1936 2,117,419 Hamrick May 17, 1938 2,165,321 Wertz July 11, 1939 2,604,854 Taylor July 29, 1952 2,632,672 Waterman Mar. 24, 1953 

